Check-valve.



C. C. BUTLER.

CHECK VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16, I916.

1, 27,883 Patented May 29, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET i.

Witnesses L mwms PETERS CD..PHOTO-LITHO., WASNINGmAL p c.

{LBUTLERJ CHECK vmve, APPLICAUON FILED OCT. !6,1916.

Attorneys Witnesses xxm'aw CLAUDE C. BUTLER, OF FORT TOWSON, OKLAHOMA.

CHECK-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed October 16, 1916. Serial No. 125,966.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE C. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Towson, in the county of Choctaw and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Check-Valve, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains generally to check valves, and aims to provide a novel and improved check valve adapted especially for use upon a locomotive,

whereby in the event that the locomotive becomes derailed or is in a collision, so as to turn over, the valve is operable for shutting off the flow of water and steam from the boiler.

It has not infrequently occurred, in the event of wrecks, that the enginemen are confined practically uninjured in the cab of an overturned locomotive, but are scalded by the breaking of a steam pipe in the cab, whereas if means were provided for shutting ofiv the flow of water and steam in the event that the locomotive turns over, such injury to the enginemen would be avoided, and furthermore, this would save the destruction of the fire box and fire tubes.

It is the object of the invention to provide a check valve structure applicable to locomotives for the purpose above indicated, and operable in a thoroughly efiicient and practical manner.

The invention also includes novel means for mounting and operating the valve, whereby the valve can be manually seated and unseated and whereby the valve and its seat can be whetted from time to time.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the in vention.

The invention .is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figurel is a longitudinal section through the upper portion of a locomotive boiler, showing the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the check valve structure, portions being shown in elevation, and portions being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the boxfor housing the operating stems.

Fig. at is a detail view illustrating the mounting of the valve carrying arm, portions being broken away.

The structure includes a suitable valve casing 1 bolted, riveted or otherwise secured to one side wall of the steam dome 2 ofthe boiler 3 within said dome, the top of the casing 1 being provided with a steam inlet 4 and a steam outlet 5 of smaller area than the inlet 4, whereby the steam flows into the casing at a slower velocity than it flows out of the casing thereby to increase the suction tending to seat the check valve to close the outlet, as will hereinafter more fully appear. A steam inlet pipe 6 is attached to the top of the casing in communication with the inlet t and is provided with a strainer 7 for straining the steam which flows into the casing by way of the device 6. A steam pipe 7 has one end connected to the casing 1 in any suitable manner in communication with the steam outlet 5 and is located underneath the top of the boiler 3. The other end of the pipe 7 extends upwardly through the top of the boiler 3 and delivers the steam into a chamber provided by an upwardly bulged or olfset portion 9 of a plate 8 riveted or otherwise secured upon the boiler 3. A manifold 10 is secured upon the raised portion 9 of the plate 8 to receive the steam from said chamber, and the various steam pipes 11 are connected to the manifold 10 from which the steam is supplied to the cylinders, cars, etc.

The top of the casing 1 is provided with a depending boss 12 surrounding the steam outlet 5 and providing a downwardly facing valve seat for the check valve, which is carried by an arm 13 extending from a rocker 14; having the trunnions 15 journaled in bearing plates 16 bolted or otherwise secured to the sides of the casing 1. WVear plates 17 are sandwiched between the plates 16 and the walls of the casing 1 to prevent said walls from being worn by the oscillation of the rocker 14 and its arm 13. The arm 13 is provided at its free end withan aperture 18 through which the stem or shank 19 of the check valve 20 is journaled for rotation, said valve being of disk shape and being seatable upwardly against the seat 12 to close the steam outlet 5, it being noted that all water and steam is compelled to flow through the casing 1 in being discharged from the boiler, so that if the valve is seated, no water or steam can flow from the boiler. The shank 19 is provided below the arm 13 with a non-circular head 21 which holds the valve 20 upon the arm 13, and said arm has a removable piece 22 bolted or otherwise fastened thereto, and which when removed permits of the removal and replacement of the valve 20. The valve 20 normally gravitates away from its seat 12 with the arm 13, so as not to impair the flow of steam from the casing 1.

The arm 13 is yieldably supported in lowered position, whereby it will vibrate during the motion of the locomotive, to prevent the arm 13 from sticking, and to assure of the closing of the check valve in case of accident to the locomotive. For this purpose, a bracket 23 is bolted or otherwise fastened to the inner wall of the casing l opposite the wall from which the arm 13 extends, and the bracket 23 projects below the free end of-the arm 13, being provided with a vertical recess 24 and an aperture 25 below said recess through which a stem 26 extends. The stem has a buffer head 27 at its upper end working within the mouth of the recess 24 and adapted to support the free end of the arm 13. A coiled wire expansion spring 23 is disposed within the recess 24 around the stem 26 and has its lower end seating upon the bottom of the recess while the head 27 seats upon the upper end of the spring to be yieldably supported thereby. A nut 29 or other retaining element is engaged upon the lower protruding end of the stem 26 to limit the upward movement of said stem and head 27. The stem 26 and its head 27 provide a yieldable buffer for supporting the arm 13 and valve 20, whereby the arm 13 will vibrate due to the motion of the locomotive, and the arm 13 will thus be kept free so that the valve 20 can seat easily in case of emergency. The bracket 23 is provided with an opening 30 below the valve 20 for the reception of valve operating means.

A rotatable shaft 31 has its upper free end projecting within the opening 30 and provided with a non-circular socket 32 normally below the head 21 and adapted to snugly receive said head when the shaft 31 is moved upstanding. The shaft 30 is pro vided with a reduced lower end 33 ournaled through a bearing 34 of a floating frame 35, and a bevel gear 36 is secured to the lower end 33 of the shaft 31 and meshes with a. bevel gear 37 secured upon a. short shaft or spindle 38 journaled through a bearing 39 of the frame 35. The bearings 34 and 39 as well as the shafts 31 and 38 are arranged at right angles with one another, and the frame is mounted for up and down movement within the casing 1, by means of an arm or link 40 having one end fulcrumed to the sides of the casing 1, as at 42, the same as the arm 13, and the other end of the link or arm 40 is pivoted to the frame 35, as at 42, between the bearings 34 and 39. The frame 35 can thus be swung upwardly and downwardly with the arm 40, and can swing relative to said arm as it is moved upwardly and downwardly. The casing 1 carries a suitable cross bar or member 43 upon which the arm 40 is seatable in its normal lowered position for supporting the frame 35 and parts carried thereby.

An operating stem or rod 44 for the shafts 31 and 38 is slidabl'e and rotatable within a stuffing box 45 threadedly or otherwise engaged through the wall of the steam dome 2, and the outer protruding end of the stem 44 is provided with means 46 for the engagement of a suitable handle or key for operating said stem. The inner end of the stem 44 is connected by a universal joint 48 with a link 47 which is in turn connected by a universal joint 49 with that end of the shaft 38 opposite the gear 37. The universal joints permit the shaft 38 to be rotated by the stem 44 when they are at various angular positions relative to one another, the link 47 transmitting the motion from the stem 44 to the shaft 38. Furthermore, when the stem 44 is slid inwardly, the link 47 pushes the frame. 35 inwardly and upwardly, to raise the shaft 31 into engagement with the head 21, and to raise the arm 13 and valve 20. The stem 44 can thus be operated for seating the valve and then rotating it.

In order to unseat the valve 20 against the pressure imposed on said valve should it be seated, a lever 50 is fulcrumed, as at 51, to the sides of the casing 1, the same as the arm 13, and has a finger 52 extending over the arm 13 to seat upon said arm when the lever 50 is swung in the proper direction, whereby to swing the arm 13 downwardly and unseat the valve. The lower end of the lever 50 is connected by a link 53 with a stem or rod 54 slidable through a stufing box 55 secured to the wall of the steam dome 2, the same as the stuffing box 45. A suitable handle 46 is secured to the outer protruding end of the stem 54.

The stuffing boxes 45 and 55 and outer ends of the stems 44 and 54 are housed within a sheet metal box 57 secured to the wall of the steam dome 2 upon the outside thereof, said. box having a hinged door or cover 58 which can normally be held closed by a car seal or other suitable means, whereby the door 58 can be opened in case of necessity. The door 58 being normally closed, holds the stem 54 inwardly, whereby the finger 52 is held in raised position, so as not to interfere with the oscillation of'the arm 13-and the seating of the valve 20, but when :the door 58 is opened, the stem 54 can be pulled outwardly, thereby to swing' the'lever 50 so as to move the finger 52 downwardly, thus swinging the arm 13 and moving .the valve 20 likewise. This will unseat the valve 20, should this be necessary.

The bottom of the casing '1 has an opening 59 below the valve seat 12 through which an implement can be inserted or grinding the valve seat, and said opening 59 is normally closed by a removable screw plug 60. The bottom of the casing is also provided with a drain outlet 61, whereby the casing can be drained.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that should the locomotive turn over, in case of an accident, if the valve 20 does not seat by gravity, it will be sucked against the seat 12, to prevent the escape of water and steam, to avoid injury to the enginemen and others, and to save the fire box, fire tubes and other parts of the locomotive.

The valve and its seat can be whetted from time to time, to assure of the perfect seating of the valve 20 in case of accident, and to remove crustations from the valve and its seat. To accomplish this, the stem 44 is slid inwardly, whereby the frame 35 and shaft 31 are moved upwardly, the head 21 being received by the socket 32, and the arm 18 and valve 20 being raised by the shaft 31, to seat the valve 30. Then, by rotating the stem 44, the shaft 88 is rotated, and the bevel gears 36 and 37 will transmit the rotary motion to the shaft 81. The head 21 in fitting in the socket 32 will cause the valve 20 to be rotated with the shaft 31, whereby the valve in being rotated in its contact with the valve seat, will grind foreign matter away from the valve and valve seat, so that the valve will seat perfectly when necessary. It is desirable to whet the valve periodically. When the stem 44 is released the parts will gravitate to normal position, as seen in full lines in Fig. 2.

If it is necessary to make repairs on the road, such as render it desirable to cut ofi the steam, to repair the steam pipes, or the like, the door 58 is opened, and the stem 44 slid inwardly to seat the valve 21, which will cut off the flow of steam from the boiler. The repairs can then be made, and by pulling the stem 54 the valve is again unseated, and the locomotive can proceed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a valve casing having an inlet and an upper outlet, a check valve mounted within the casing for movement upward to close the outlet and for rotary movement, said valve normally gravitating away from the outlet, means independent of and normally disconnected from the valve movable into-connection with the valve for forcing it toward said outlet and for rotating the valve, and meansoperable for moving the valve downwardly when held upwardly by pressure.

2. A device of the character described embodying a valve casing having an inlet and an outlet, a swinging member mounted within the casing, a rotatable check carried *by said swinging member to normally move away from the outlet and seatable toward the outlet to close the same, said valve having a non-circular portion, a rotatable member mounted within the casing for movement into and out of engagement with said portion and movable to move the valve to seated position, and means for moving said rotatable member to seat the valve and for rotating said member to rotate the valve.

3. A device of the character described em member to rotate the valve, and means for moving the valve downwardly when held seated by pressure.

4. A device of the character described comprising a valve casing having an inlet and an outlet, a swinging member mounted 1.

within the casing, a rotatable valve carried by said swinging member to normally move away from the outlet and to seat toward the outlet to close the same under certain conditions, the valve having a non-circular portion, a second swinging member mounted within the valve casing, a frame pivotally connected with the second swinging member, a rotatable shaft carried by the frame and having a non-circular portion to engage 11 the aforesaid portion when the frame is swung toward the valve, 'a second shaft journaled in said frame and operatively connected with the aforesaid shaft, a stem slidable and rotatable through one wall of i the valve casing, and a link connected by universal joints with said stem and second shaft.

5. The combination with the steam dome of a boiler, of a valve casing secured to one wall thereof upon the inside, the valve casing having a steam inlet and an upper steam outlet, a check valve mounted within the casing for movement to and from the steam outlet and normally moving away from the outlet, said valve being seatable toward the outlet for closing the same under certain conditions, a box secured to said Well of the steam dome upon the outside thereof and 5 having a door, a stem extending through said Wall of the steam dome and projecting into said box and easing, means operated by said stem for moving the valve away from the steam outlet, a second stem ex- 10 tending through said Wall of the steam dome and projecting Within said box and casing, and means operated by the second stem for seating the Valve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signa- 15 ture in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

CLAUDE C. BUTLER.

Witnesses:

J. P. WARREN, L. C. MERIOTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

